THE

GOALS FOR GOALS

TOURNAMENT


A Fundraising Event for the Immokalee Soccer School & Academy

Maria Pangori
Professor Stashower




















 CASE OUTLINE:











GOAL: To fund a bus for the Immokalee Soccer School & Academy by having colleges and
universities host and organize a soccer tournament on their campus.

SUPPORT: 1 out of 3 people graduate high school in the impoverished town of
Immokalee, Florida, which is only 15 minutes away from the vacation spot of Naples. The
Immokalee Soccer School & Academy is one of the only support systems for children, since
their parents spend 15-hour workdays away from their families and in the fields. This
Academy helps children stay in school by teaching them values of discipline, respect, and
goal setting through the game of soccer.

AUDIENCE: Colleges and Universities who value social justice initiatives, as part of their
mission, will be asked to host a soccer tournament, which will benefit the Immokalee
Soccer School & Academy.

CASE STATEMENT: The Immokalee Soccer School & Academy utilizes soccer to work
toward their vision of creating a way for more impoverished children of Immokalee to
graduate high school and go on to college. The only way more children can benefit from the
hope and vision of Immokalee Soccer School & Academy is by having transportation to get
to the soccer fields. Organizing and hosting a single tournament will give 30 more children
the opportunity to strive for achievement, to value their education, and to break their cycle
of poverty. Together we will help these children go beyond the field and reach their goals.

Where angels learn to fly
-The Immokalee Soccer School






STRATEGY & TACTICS:

I: Reaching Out

The audience (colleges and universities who value social justice initiatives) will be contacted
with the opportunity to participate in holding a soccer tournament for the benefit of the
Immokalee Soccer School.
First, a letter will be sent to the President of the school informing him/her about the
fundraiser tournament event.


Fr. Niehoff May 1st, 2016
President
John Carroll University
1 John Carroll Blvd
University Heights, 44118

Dear Fr. Niehoff,

I want to personally thank your community for deciding to organize an Immersion trip to our home of Immokalee. We
value your institution for three reasons: you dedicate your community to being one with and for others, you form
outstanding leaders who go on and continue to serve others, and you provide an excellent education which is essential to
the future of your students.

In our community, the children are not motivated to receive an education that is even more essential to their futures. Our
community of Immokalee, Florida, 20 minutes from Naples, suffers from a continuous cycle of poverty, which gives the
young people no hope. Watching their parents work in the fields, making only $10,000 a year is the only option in the eyes
of the children. This causes 1 out of 3 people to graduate high school in Immokalee, when here, in University Heights,
more than 90% of the population graduate high school and go on to attend colleges just like yours.

Seven years ago, I helped start a nonprofit called the Immokalee Soccer School & Academy to assist in filling up this
achievement gap and lowering the poverty rate. This soccer academy is where children learn to reach goals by scoring
goals. The game of soccer is vital to these children, teaching them discipline, giving them support, and providing them
with hope. In addition to practice and games, free tutoring after practice provides children encouragement to study,
something they would not normally have since their parents work in the fields till the dark.

Many of the students who visited us wanted ways to help when they returned and I have a concrete way. Because the
Academy is still young, we need you and could use your help tremendously. The only way more children benefit from the
hope the Immokalee Soccer School & Academy gives is by having transportation means to get to the soccer fields.

Therefore, the Academy needs more vans. We are asking colleges and universities devoted to social justice to consider
holding a Goals for Goals Tournament. By organizing and holding a soccer tournament event, we will be able to fund a bus
to help 30 more children overcome poverty.

If you are interested in this opportunity or if you have any questions about the process of holding a tournament, I would
love to talk with you. Feel free to call me at your convenience at (248) 807-0211.


Sincerely,
Gabriel Mejia
Founder, Immokalee Soccer School & Academy
Where Angels Learn to Fly
www.immokaleesoccerschool.org
 Second, a video will be presented that highlights the problem in Immokalee, the
effectiveness of the Immokalee Soccer School, and how organizing a tournament can
directly help the children in Immokalee. The video will be brought to schools by people
who have either been to Immokalee, either from an Immersion or year of service, or by
actual representatives who are from Immokalee and are involved, in some capacity,
with the Immokalee Soccer School & Academy. This video and presentation will be
shown (1) if a school decides to undertake the opportunity to organize a tournament or
(2) if a school wants to the learn more about Immokalee and its need for help, so they
can then decide if they want to take part in the fundraiser. This video will have an
emotional appeal to show the unknown, real struggles of everyday people. The CIW
(Coalition of Immokalee Workers) and the Immokalee Soccer School & Academy
themselves will help with footage.


II: Forming a Planning Team

When a school decides to hold a fundraising tournament, the school will have their soccer
teams (both women and mens teams), social justice/action or service center, and any
staff/students willing to help collaborate to plan the big event and the steps along the way.
These teams will be encouraged to meet several times before the big event
By the rules of the NCAA, college soccer players are not allowed to play in any games
they are paying for. Therefore, the soccer teams will be of best use by planning and
running the tournament.
The soccer players roles include: help recruit people, coaching for the tournament,
helping with concessions/food, helping with silent auction, music/entertainment

III: Tournament & Event Logistics

1. The 5 v. 5 tournaments consist of (a) Pool Play and (b) Playoffs.
The tournament will be a half-day event, and the exact length of the event may vary
depending on how many teams register to play.
(This sample tournament set up is if there are 10 teams playing)
5 to 8 players can be on a team. 5 people play on each team at a time and the rest are
substitutes. The teams may be all female, all male, or co-ed.
Each player of each team has to pay $15 to be a part of the tournament
(a) Pool Play: each team will play all the teams in their group. Each team will then be
seated.
Each game will be 15 minutes long.
If held on a football field, 4 games will be playing at one, splitting the field in quarters.
If the school has other soccer facilities, or larger grass space, more games may be played
at once.
(b) Playoffs: Depending on how many teams there are, the top one, two, or three teams
will then play in the Playoff rounds.
The play off rounds will be held on the middle of the field

2. In order to attract people inside and outside of the community who are not on teams to
attend the event, there will be:
Local/student bands playing: e.g. Student bands attract more students to attend
eventsFor instance, there is one band of students named Ryan Brown & Friends and
another named Save the Frogs that have attracted many students to come to John
Carroll events such as Carroll Fest and the Dance Ensemble Show.
Food tents from local restaurants: 30-50% of the profits (depending on what the
company is willing to give) will be given to the efforts of buying a bus
A silent auction: other on campus groups, clubs, and sororities/fraternities will be
asked to donate baskets to auction off at the tournament.
Speakers (students who have been on an Immersion to Immokalee, etc.) giving
testimonies about the struggles of Immokalee or their experiences there


III: Spreading Awareness & Recruiting Players

The first step for the planning team, in order to run the tournament, is to recruit people to
create a team to play in the tournament.
The school will bring in Gabriel Mejia, the founder and head coach of the Immokalee
Soccer School & Academy, as a featured speaker/lecturer (e.g. JCU always brings in
speaker in different subject areas who give talks open to JCU students and the public
Gandhis grandson recently spoke in the Donahue Auditorium). Mejia is an inspirational
man who has an excellent story of overcoming the cycle of poverty that Immokalee
faces. Having him tell his story and how the soccer school is helping children in
Immokalee stay in school so that they have the chance of becoming something other
than a farmworker, will effectively spread awareness and advertise what the upcoming
event is supporting. Mejia may also choose to bring one of the players who can also give
a testimony to why this nonprofit is essential and to explain what it has done for
her/him.
The video shown during the Reaching Out stage will be shown at a primary spot on
campus (e.g. atrium, middle of campus, busy passing spot on campus). This will spread
awareness and get people interested
Post on schools advertising site/newspaper/television screen (e.g. JCUs Lobovision is
the atrium TV or Inside JCU)
Posters put up around campus advertising the sign up
A link will be set up to a website (e.g. Wufoo) that will be easy, fast, and convenient to
sign up teams








IV: Finding & Reaching Out to Potential Sponsors

Once there are enough teams signed up, potential sponsors will be contacted; A letter will be
sent to them requesting for help. Having companies in the local area of the team sponsor each
team will allow more funds to be raised.
Along with a letter, local companies will be sent the video so they have a better
understanding of what they can be supporting.
The sponsors company name will be featured (1) on the back of the teams shirt that
they are specifically sponsoring, (2) on the programs for the event, and (3) on
advertisements for the event.
E.g. Local companies like the restaurant Pizazz have a big dedication to helping
organizations in the community and would most likely be willing to sponsor a team
and/or bring food for a food tent; Ten Thousand Villages in Cleveland Heights is dedicated
to fair trade and fair wages and may be willing to sponsor a team.

V. Advertising Event

In order to attract people on the schools campus and in the local area, advertising for the
event will be the most essential step of the process.
The schools radio station and newspaper can plug in advertisements for the event (e.g.
WJCU is also a local station, so this may attract people outside of the school community
to come to the event)
The school soccer teams will announce the event at their games
Flyers/takeaways will be given out at a central place on campus (e.g. At JCU, a lot of the
fundamental advertising takes place in the atrium of the student center, since many
students pass by that location on a daily basis)
The social justice/action or service center and the campus ministry of the school will
promote the event within their department
The athletic department will also promote the event to other teams besides the soccer
teams and during their games
A poster/flyer will be hung up around campus promoting the event
The sponsors will also advertise with the poster for the event
Blast emails will be sent to all the students periodically leading up to the event
A news article featured in the local community (e.g. JCU has connections Cleveland.com,
since a professor writes for the sports section; This may be used to have an a published
that raises awareness and advertises the event)
Families and friends of the teams and JCU community will be invited
Here is a sample of a poster promoting the event:







VI. Sources of Fundingworking toward the funding of a bus

Entry fee from individuals on each team
Sponsors
Proceeds from food tents
Entry fee for event ($5)
Silent Auction
Other donations (there will be the option to donate any amount of gift, since everyone
at the school and community will not be on a team or may not be able to attend the
event)